Mine-car-dumping apparatus.



G. A. GRIFFITH.

MINE OAR DUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLIoA'rIoN FILED un 1v, 190e.

982,426. Patented Jan. 24,1911.

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G. A. GRIFFITH;

MINE GAR DUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909.

Patented J an. 24, 1911.

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C. A. GRIFFITH. Minn OAR DUMPING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909. 982,426, Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

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1 o". A. GRIFFITH.

MINE OAR DUMPING APPARATUS.V

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909.4 982,426. 11119111911 Jan. 24, 1911.

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@wf 1 N wwwi WM@ W/ M@ CHARLES A. GRIFFITH, OF PRUDEN, TENNESSEE.

MINE-ICAR-DU1VIPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 24, 1911.`

Application filed May 17, 1909. Serial No. 496,560.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Giurrrru, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pruden, in the county of Claiborne and .State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mine-Car- Dumping Apparatus, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My improvement relates particularly to mine tipples or apparatus applied to a mine railway track for tilting cars endwise for the discharge of their loads while traversing said track.

The object ofthe improvement is to pro-y vide such an apparatus in automatic or semiautomatic form and adapted to rapid operationvand simple and durable construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of an apparatus embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same apparatus; Fig. 3 is a larger sectional elevation of the portion of the apparatus shown in the right hand part of Fig. Q; Fig. i is a section on the line 441 of Fig. 3, showing a transverse shaft and parts thereto attached, the function of which is to engage and hold the car while it is being tilted and thereafter release it and allow it to move forward on the track; Fig. 5 is a detail section of a latch supporting bracket on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking toward the left; Fig. 6 is a section on the line G-G of Fig. 3, looking toward the left; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 9 is' a sectional detail showing the attachment of one of the guard rails to the adjacent main rail.

The movement of filled cars is from right to left.

Any suitable trestle or frame-work may be used for supporting the track at the desired height to make room for dumping plates, screens, etc., below the track. In the form shown in the drawings, the framework is wide enough to also support a return track for empty cars.

A, A are posts upon the upper' ends of which rest cross beams or caps, B; and ou said caps rest longitudinal beams or sills, C. Upon said sills rests platform flooring, D, excepting along the dumping station, (the portion of the main track at which the cars are to be tilted for the discharge of their loads through the spaces between `said sills) and along the main track at the station, short posts, E, rise from the caps,

B, and transverse caps, F, rest upon said posts. And upon said caps rest longitudinal beams or sills, G. Upon said beams rests flooring, I'I, which supports the rails, I, I, forming the main track. In order that said track `may decline toward the dumping station so as to allow the filled cars to run thereon by gravity toward the dump` ing station, the short posts, E, are made lower and lower from right to left, and by means of said posts this portion of the track is elevated above the flooring, D, which is at the opposite side of the dumping station, in order that the portion of the track passing the dumping station may be steep.

Near the middle of the dumping station is a cross beam, K, resting upon the longitudinal beams, C, and at the left of the dumping station is a similar cross beam, L, also resting upon the longitudinal beams, C. But the cross beam, K, is preferably a little higher than the cross beam, L, in order that the track rails, I, may descend slightly in going from the cross beam, K, to the cross beam, L. The track rails, I, ext-end from the platform, I-I, across the dump opening in the frame at the dumping station to the platform, D, at the left of said opening, and thence along said platform. After leaving the platform, H, said rails are straight for a short distance and then extend downward at a steep grade to meet the cross beam, K, as shown in Fig. 3. This steep portion of said rails between the platform, II, and the cross beam, K, supports the car, S, while the load is being discharged, and such portion of said rails must be of sufficient inclination to allow the contents of the car to slide by gravity out of the forward or left hand end of the car body when the adjacent end board, s, has been raised as will be hereinafter' described. In the opening between the cross beams, K and L, and the longitudinal sills, C, is an inclined dumping plate, M, which leads to a screen, N. Inasmuch as such dumping plates and screens have heretofore been used, I deem it unnecessary to here describe them in detail. Along the inner side of. such steep portion of each of the rails, I, I, is a guard rail, J, supported from the adjacent rail, I, by brackets,rj, (see Figs. 1 and 9). The purpose of said guard rails is to prevent the oars from shifting laterally far enough to make the car wheels fail to engage the curved arms, 7, hereinafter described. j

Associated with. the track formed by the track rails, I, is a return track, O, suitable', track switches being located. between the dumping station and the left hand end of the main track, as will be described below. And the left hand end of the main track is curved upward, as shown in Fig. 2, to arrest the'forwardv movement of the car coming from the dumping station' after allowing the car to rise suiiiciently to cause it to run backward and pass the switch and enter upon the return, track. The inner rail, O, of the return track extends beneath the adjacent rail', I, of the main track and approaches the other rail, I, of the main track. A switch point, P, extends obliquely toward the left' from the end of said rail, O, to said rail of the main track. Said point is hinged at y) to the end of the rail, O, of the return track and is pressed against the adjacent rail of the main track by a spring, p1, onv a bolt, p2. As will be readily understood from the drawings, the wheels of a car while passing toward the left on said main rail will push said point away from said main rail. Immediately at the right of the inner rail, O, the main track rail, I, is cut obliquely, approximately parallel to said rail', O, so that the ends of said cut overlap, and near the other rail, O, said rail, I, is again cut. The section, Il, of the rail, I, thus freed is hinged at its left hand end by means of an upright bolt or pintle, Q. Anda contracting coiled spring, R, lo cated between the two rails, I, I, and fixed by one end to the platform, I), and attached by the other end to said freed section of the adjacent rail, I, draws the right hand endof said freed section yieldingly against the adjacent overlapping rail' end. At the left of the hinge formed by the pintle, Q., there isa space between the rail, I, and the outer rail, O, sufficient to permit the passing of the flanges of the car wheels. It will now be understood that when a car stands upon the extreme left hand portion of the rails, I, I, leftwardl of the switch point, P, and is allowed to move rightward by gravity, the wheels will enter upon the rails. O, O, the wheels on the inner` of said rails pushing aside the hinged section, I1, of the rail, I, which extends across or over the inner rail,

O. Thus the two tracks are adapted for the' movement of the cars by gravity from the right toward the left, on the main track, and then from the left toward the right on the return track. Tracks providing for such movement of the cars past a dumping or tipple station have heretofore been used.

My improvement is limited to the mechanism by means of which the` car is stopped, in the inclined position, and made to discharge its load at the dumping station and then released and allowed to proceed. This car-stopping mechanism comprises one or move movable members having a path extending from a point outside of the car pathr into said path in the direction opposite the direction of the movement of the cars. In the particular form` shown in the drawings, there are two such members consisting of curved arms rigidly mount-ed on a rock-shaft located below the track rails, or said arms and said shaft may be regarded as together constituting such a stopping member.

The rock-shaft, 1, is located below the rails, I, I, and rests in bearings, 2, secured by ears, 3, and bolts,4, to said rails. At the outer side of each of said rails a sleeve, 5, surrounds said shaft and is immovablyv se= cured thereto by a key, 6; and from eaclr of said sleeves rises a curved arm, 7, rigid with said sleeve, so that said arms can turn only when said shaft turns; The inner portion of said arm is directed toward the right and is of proper size and form to receive the forL ward portion ofthe forward wheel of a car moving toward the left on the rails, I, I, after said arms have-been turned toward the left. But, in their normal position, said arms are turned far enough tothe right to cause their' upper ends to bear'against the rims of the forward car wheels approximately horizontally opposite the hubs of said wheels, as shown in Fig. 2. Themovements of said arms, and the rockshaft, 1, are controlled by means of ay segment, an arm, and a spring mounted upon one end of the rock shaft next to the adjacenty sleeve, 5. Such arm, 8, is mounted radially on the sleeve, 9, which surrounds the shaft, 1, and

is secured immovably thereto by means of a key, 10. Said sleeve, 9, is loosely surrounded by a sleeve, 11, between the arm, 8, and the adjacent sleeve, And said sleeve,

`11, supports a rigid quadrant plate, 12,

which is parallel to the arm, 8, and` has in its periphery a notch, 13, and on its periphery at its upper corner, a stop, 14, and on its periphery at its lower corner, a stop, 15. Above the arm, 8, and on the adjacentr face of said quadrant plate is a stop. 16, which limits the upward movement of said arln. A contracting coiled spring, 17, is secured by one end to a wrist, 18, on the-arm, 8, and by its other end to a wrist, 19, on thelower corner ofthe quadrant-plate, 12.

When the curved arms, 7, are not engaged by the wheels of a car, the spring, 17, contracts and draws the arm, S, toward the wrist, 19, whereby the rock shaft is partially rotated and caused to carry the curved arms, 7, toward the right or clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3. Said quadrant plate is normally held in the lower right hand quarter of the circle, the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by means of a latch bolt, 20, entering said notch, 13. Said latch bolt is held slidably in a horizontal sleeve, 21, supported by a bracket, 22, which bracket extends rigidly downward from the adjacent rail, I, to which it is secured by means of bolts or rivets, 23. A contracting coiled spring, 24, is secured by one end to the b wicket, 22, at 25 and by its opposite end to a standard, 2G, rising from the latch bolt, 20, at the right of the sleeve, 21. Through such connection, said spring' 'tends to draw said latch bolt toward the left. At its right hand end, said latch bolt has an upturned hook, 27, which engages a similar downturned hook, 28, on an approximately horizontal shift bar, 29. The left hand portion of said bar extends through a stationary sleeve, 30, secured to an adjacent portion of the framing, while the right hand end of said bar is hinged at 31 to the upright lever, 32. The lower end of said lever is hinged at 33 to the frame structure. At the left of the sleeve, 30, an expanding coiled spring, 34, surrounds the shift bar, 29, and bears by its right hand end against said sleeve while its left hand end bears against a cross pin, 35, in said shift rod, whereby said spring is adapted to normally press said shift rod toward the left.

The relative arrangement and dimensions of the latch bolt, shift bar, and springs, 2st and 34, are such as to put the hooks, 27 and 28, into engagement with each other when the lever, 32, is free and the latch bolt rests in the notch, 13.

The operation of this mechanism for holding the car on the steep inclined portion of the track rails, I, I, is as follows: Assuming that the parts are in their normal positionthe latch bolt in the notch, 13, of the quadrant plate, 12, whereby said quadrant plate is locked ilnmovably, and the coiled spring, 17 has contracted so as to lean the curved arms, 7, toward the righta loaded mine car, S, is allowed to run by gravity over the rails, I, I, from the right toward the left until the front wheels, W, of said car bear against the curved arms, 7 and press them leftward, turning the rock shaft, 1 and the arm, S, in opposition to the spring. 17, the latter being lengthened, until said arm, 3, bears against the stop, 1G, on the upper edge of the quadrant plate, whereby said rock shaft and the curved arms, 7, are locked against further movement with reference to said quadrant plate. The latter has already been locked by the latch bolt, 20. Hence the curved arms, 7, stand immovably in the path of the wheels of the ear and hold the car immovably at the same inclination as the inclination of the portions of the rails, T, l, upon which the wheels of the car then rest. And in. this position the car will remain so long as the quadrant plate remains locked. By now moving the lever, 32, toward the right, the shift bar, 29, draws the latch bolt, 20, toward the right and out of engagement with the quadrant plate, whereby the latter is free to turn upward (contraclockwise) until the lower stop, 15, on said plate abuts against the latch bolt sleeve, 21. This allows the curved arms, 7, to move leftward and downward until they reach the level of the upper faces of the rails, l', and leave a clear way for the car wheels to move forward on said rails. After said wheels have passed, the spring, 17, again contracts and draws the arm, S, toward the wrist, 19, on the quadrant plate, whereby the normal relation between said plate and the curved arms, 8, is restored; and at the same time the weight of the quadrant plate, arm, 8, and coiled spring, 17 turns said rock shaft clockwise, said plate, arm, and spring going downward, until the notch, 13, is opposite the latch bolt, whereupon said bolt slips into said notch and again locks said plate. rl`he stop, 11i, arrests the downward movement of the quadrant plate when said notch is opposite the latch bolt. At each side of the dumping station is an approximately horizontal and stationary bar, 36, supported on standards, 37, having their lower ends secured to the adjacent rail, I. The function of said bars is to support the forward end gate, s, of the ear while the forward end of the car descends, whereby said end of the car is left open for the escape of the contents of the car by gravity. Each end of said end gate. is secured to one end of an arm, s2, while the opposite end of said arm is hinged to the car body at s3. A brace, s", extends from the lower portion of the ond gate to the arm, s2. An ear, .S5 extends laterally from each upper corner of the end gate far enough to extend across the adjacent bar, 36. rlhe relativeheightof said bars and said ears such as that when the car comes to said bars from the right, said ea rs will pass over a rod upon said bars, whereby the end gate is carried horizontally while the car moves downward away from the end gate until the end of the :ar open sufficiently for the discharge of its contents. Then the car is released from the curved arms, 7, and allowed to move forward, the ears, s, slide downward over the left hand standards, 37, until the end gate again rests in position upon the car body. To avoid abrupt falling of the end gate, said standards are inclined toward the right, in order that said ears may bolt, 20. 1

remain in engagement with said standards until the end gate rests upon the car body.

The lever, 32, and the shift bar, 29, const-itute manual means for operating the latch also provide mechanism for the automatic shifting of the latch bolt by an empty car running toward the right on the return track. A. short rock shaft, 38, rests in a horizontal bearing, 39, adjacent and at right angles to the inner rail, O, of the return track. On said rock shaft is a tripping arm, 10, which rises into the path of the car wheels. On the other end of said rock shaft is an upright cord arm, 4:1, from the free end of which a cord, 4t2, extends toward the left to and around a guide pulley, 43, and thence diagonally forward and toward the right beneath the main track to and around the guide pulley, 4:4, to the shift bar, 29, to which it is attached at the lift of said pulley.

TWhen an empty car moves toward the right on the return track, the Wheels thereof on the inner rai'l, 0, turn the tripping arm, 40, toward the right, whereby said rock shaft is turned so as to force the cord arm, 41, toward the right. This draws the cord over the guide pulleys, 43 and 44E, the end'of said cord which is secured to the shift bar going toward the right and drawing said bar in the same direction and causing said bar to operate for the release of the latch bolt, 20, from the quadrant plate, 12, just as is done when the lever, 32, is drawn toward the right by the hand of the attendant. Thus my apparatus is adapted for the release of the emptied car from the car-stopping member manually or automatically. lVhether the operation is manual or automatic, it will be observed that it is desirable that the car engaged by the car-stopping member be released only after the last preceding` car has passed backward on the switch and entered fully upon the return track so as to leave a clear way for the neXt car. By placing the tripping arm, 40, adjacent the return track at a proper distance to the right from the switch, the automatic operation can occur only after the empty car is fully upon the return track.

Those features of inventiony which are herein disclosed but not specifically claimed are covered by a divisional application entitled mine car dumping apparatus, `[iled December 27th, 1910, Serial No. 599,241.

T claim as my invention:

1. ln an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, and means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path.

2. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of astationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path inthe direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, a spring for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, and means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path.

3. 1n an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping` member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, and latch mechanism for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path.

4. 1n an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, a spring for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, and latch mechanism for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path.

5. 1n an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path intosaid path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, latch mechanism for temporarily stoppingv said member intermediate the ends of its path, and a spring for moving said latch mechanism into engagement.

6. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, a spring for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, latch mechanism for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path, and a spring for normally moving said latch mechanism into engagement.

7. 1n an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a curved path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit ot its path, and means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path.

8. In an apparatus ot' the nature described, the combination oi' a stationary, iinclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a curved path extel'iding from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction ol" movement of ears upon said track, a spring for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit ot' its path, and means for temporarily stop ping said member intermediate the ends ot its/path.

9. In an apparatus of the nature dcscribed, the combination ot' a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending itfrom a point outside oit' the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, automatic means for normally moving said car-stopping,member to the upper limit of its path and there yieldingly holding said member, and means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path.

10. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a shiftable member, means for temporarily locking said shiftable member, a car-stopping, member having a path extending from a point outside or' the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of the cars upon said track,l and a spring interposed between Said shiftable member and said cai'stoppi1ig member for drawing the latter in the direction of the approaching car, one of said members being provided with a stop :t'or limiting such movement.

11. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, iuclined car track, a shiftable member, latch mechanism adapted to lock said shiftable member, a car-stopping member having a ypath extending from a point outside ot' the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of the cars upon said track, and a spring interposed between said shiftable member and said carstopping member for drawing the latter in the direction of the approaching car, one of said members being provided with a stop for limiting such movement.

12. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a car-stopping member comprising a rock shaft and an arm on said shaft extending into the car path, said member having a path extending from a point outside oi the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction o't' movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said arm at the upper limit of its path, and means tor temporarily stopping said arm intermediate the ends of its path.

13. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having' a ,path extending from a point outside ot' the ear path into said path in the direction opposite the direction o1 movement o cars upon said track, a turning member hinged to said stopping member, latch mechanism for engaging said turning member, and a spring interposed between said turning member and said stopping member for drawing the latter in the direction o1 the approachingcar, one of said members being' provided with a stop for limiting such movement.

14. In an apparatus of the nature described, thc combination or' a stationary, inclined car track comprising guard rails, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the ar path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the lupper limit oi. its path, and means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends o'l its path.

15. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a stationary, inclined car track, of mechanism for first yieldingly resisting and then temporarily stopping a ear 'upon said track, and releasing mechanism adjacent a portion ol' the track traversed by the emptied ears.

1G. In an apparatus oE the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside ot the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement ot cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit ot' its path, means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path, and automatic means for releasing said member.

17. In an appa 'atus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, latch mechanism t'or temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path, and automatic mechanism for releasing said latch mechanism.

18. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping mem-ber at the upper limit of its path, latch mechanism for temporarily stopping` said member intermediate the ends of its path, and automatic mechanism in the path of a released emptied car for releasing said latchr mechanism.

19. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary, inclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a` path extending from a point outside of the car path into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of cars upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, means for stopping said member intermedi-A scribed, the combination of a stationary, iiiclined car track, a movable car-stopping member having a path extending from a point outside of the path of a Wheel of the car into said path in the direction opposite the direction of movement of said Wheel upon said track, yielding means for normally holding said car-stopping member at the upper limit of its path, and means for temporarily stopping said member intermediate the ends of its path. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of two Witnesses, this tenth day of May, in the year one thousand nine hundred and nine.

CHARLES A. GRIFFITH.

lVitnesses:

C. A. MORSE, CYRUs KEHP.. 

